In the EFBL procedure that is pertinent to this invention, via endoscopic visualization, a muscle extending over the brow and contributing to skin wrinkling due to excessive pulling forces on the skin is severed at least in part. Access to the muscle is obtained via a hole formed in the scalp at a position about three or so inches above the brow, and extending a probe with a through the hole and down via a tunnel forced between the scalp and the skull to the muscle to sever part or all of the same. If properly done, this should relieve the excessive pulling forces tending to smooth the forehead skin. See “Endoscopic Plastic Surgery”, by Bostwick III, Eaves III, and Nahai, published by Quality Medical Publishing, Inc. of St. Louis Mo., 1995, Pgs. 166-170, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, for a description of the procedure and how it works. See also “Opthalmic Plastic Surgery”, ed. by Della Rocca, published by McGraw-Hill, of NYC, NY, 2002, Pgs. 209-222, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference, for another description of the procedure and how it works.
Scissors, monopolar electrosurgery (see our issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,135, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference), electrocautery and the CO2 laser have been used to perform the EFBL procedure. However, complications with these modalities have been reported, which include possible damage to the frontal branch of facial nerves which have sometimes resulted in eyebrow paralysis and have become a major worry among surgeons. A problem with these known procedures can be stray current or sparking coming from the monopolar electrosurgery or electrocautery, or laser jumping to the facial nerves or frontal branch nerves.